Custom Coasters

Raise your hand if you have seen a coaster set like this before? Come on, you know what I'm talking about! They are generally glass, about 1/4" thick, and have a small window—about the size of a business card—for a photo? Ah yes, now we're on the same page.

After we moved in to our home and filled it with furniture, I didn't want sweaty drinks casting rings on the new wood surfaces, so I picked up a boxed set of these coasters from Goodwill for a couple bucks. However, I also didn't want our guests placing a bottle of beer on pics of our beautiful faces so on my computer I created a few patterns in Adobe Illustrator, printed them out, cut them down to size, and slid them into place.

Now, we have a custom set of drink coasters that, if the mood strikes, I can easily update with new patterns or, if moved to a different room, can easily change to match the room's decor.

If you don't have a computer or software to create your own art, you could buy some wrapping paper, look through magazines for patterns, or even bust out some crayons and markers for some real fun—use your imagination!